The South Bend Cubs (Low A; Midwest League) are in the midst of another successful season, putting them on the verge of another attendance record.
In 2015, the Cubs emerged as one of the better stories in the minor leagues. With an affiliation change that led to the team rebranding from the Silver Hawks to the Cubs, the franchise set new records for single-season and per-game average attendance at Four Winds Field. With those efforts, the Cubs won our award for 2015 Team of the Year.
One year later, they are poised to top that season with an even stronger performance at the gate. More from the South Bend Tribune:
“There’s still the excitement of being a Cubs affiliate,” said South Bend Cubs president Joe Hart. “The team’s playing extremely well (winning the Midwest League’s first-half championship). For being this far into the season and knowing that we’re already ahead of last (year’s attendance) at this point…”
The franchise attendance record established last season is 347,678. If all goes according to plan, that record will fall by Labor Day.
Before Thursday night’s 2-1 loss to Fort Wayne (in front of a crowd of 5,016), which factors in 53 games (16 home games remain), 258,182 people have come through the turnstiles. Last year, through 53 home games, the attendance was 254,501.
An amazing part of the equation is that — remember the weather in April — several games were played in cold and snowy conditions. The 2015 opener was played in 60-degree weather with a full house, while the ’16 debut had sleet and plenty of empty seats.
The Cubs also received an honorable mention in our best logos/branding award for last season.